Slack vs Microsoft Teams: Finding the Best Fit for Your Business

If you’ve ever dipped your toes into hybrid or remote work, chances are you’ve encountered several platforms like Slack and Microsoft Teams. These apps have become widely used collaboration tools because they tackle the hallmarks of virtual communication — instant messaging and video chatting. 

But for all their similarities, there’s a world of difference between Slack and Teams. So, if you’re unsure which app would be the best fit for your workflow, you’ve come to the right place. 

I’ve tested both apps so that we can finally settle the Slack vs Teams showdown and get answers to questions like:

  • Is Slack better than Teams?
  • Which features make each platform shine?
  • What kind of businesses would benefit the most from using them?

Before we dive into a detailed comparison, let’s see a general overview of what Microsoft Teams and Slack have to offer. 

Slack-vs-teams-cover

Slack vs Teams: Features overview

The main differences between Slack and Teams are the:

  • UI,
  • Pricing, and
  • Features each platform has prioritized over the years. 

Have a look at the table below — it’s packed with information that will refresh your memory and help you decide which app would be a good match.

Features SlackMicrosoft Teams 
PricingFree plan available;
Paid plans start at $8.75 user/month (billed annually)
Free (For Home) plan available;
Paid plans start at $4.00 user/month (billed annually)
User interfaceSophisticatedSimple 
MessagingInstant messaging with threads and formatting optionsInstant messaging
NotificationsHighly customizable notification managementCustomizable notification configuration
Search capabilitiesAdvanced filtered search options Advanced filtered search options
Audio and video callsAudio and video meetings available though HuddlesRobust audio and video meeting capabilities
User-friendliness & setupIntuitive and easy-to-useMore elaborate
Guest accessGuest roles available on paid plansGuest access available with paid Microsoft 365 subscriptions
File sharing and storageOptimum file sharing and 5 GB per workspace with the free planOptimum file sharing and 5 GB per user with the free plan 
Integrations2,600+ integrations with third-party appsNative integration with Microsoft 365 products;
Third-party app integrations available
SecurityStandard security solution Standard security solution
AI-powered featuresAvailable with Slack AIAvailable with Copilot

Now that we know what we can do with these platforms, it’s time to see what happens when Slack and Microsoft Teams go head to head.

Slack vs Teams: Teams offers more value for money

Unfortunately, Slack’s no-cost plan is fairly limiting, even for small businesses and freelancers. It only allowed me to get a taste of the app’s basic features, such as:

  • 1-on-1 video and audio calls
  • 1-on-1 messaging with people outside of my organization, and
  • Up to 10 external app integrations.

Most disappointingly, the app preserves your messaging history just for the last 90 days. As someone who often likes to cross-reference and double-check data, this was a bit of a letdown.

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An overview of Slack’s pricing
An overview of Slack’s pricing

So, if you want to use Slack as an effective team communication tool, you’ll need to look into one of its paid plans, which have all of the software’s advanced features. 

Microsoft Teams also has a free version and paid subscriptions. However, the free plan is intended for personal use, which is reflected in its basic functionalities, such as:

  • Group calls lasting a maximum of 60 minutes with a participant capacity of up to 100 attendees,
  • Encryption for files, calls, meetings, and messages, and
  • 5 GB of cloud storage.
An overview of Microsoft Teams’ pricing
An overview of Microsoft Teams’ pricing

As with Slack, you’ll need a paid subscription to get the most out of Microsoft Teams. The Essentials tier costs $4.00 per user per month with an annual subscription. 

This plan sounds much more suitable for medium-sized businesses than Slack’s Pro Plan. Moreover, if you decide to upgrade to the 365 Business Basic plan, it will cost you $6 per user per month — still less expensive than Slack’s first paid tier. Not to mention, the Business Basic subscription also unlocks access to additional Microsoft apps, including: 

  • Stream, 
  • Planner, 
  • Bookings, and 
  • Forms.

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Slack vs Teams: Microsoft Teams has a simpler user interface

The first word that comes to mind when I launch Microsoft Teams is simplicity. To be fair, the layout and design aren’t the most creative, but this keeps everything neat and organized. 

The left-hand panel is quite handy and it allowed me to quickly jump between my:

  • Chats,
  • Meetings,
  • Communities (spaces where people can share knowledge and collaborate as a group),
  • Calendar, and
  • Activities.

To avoid getting overwhelmed by incoming messages, I pinned my frequently used channels and chats at the top of the chat list. This gave me one-click access to all of Teams’ core functionalities. When I needed to send a quick message, I simply tapped a pinned conversation. And, if I wanted to hop on an audio or video call, all I needed to do was press the “Meet now” icon above my chats. 

Pin conversations you don’t want to miss in Microsoft Teams
Pin conversations you don’t want to miss in Microsoft Teams

However, for all its simplicity, Teams’ interface can come off as bland, especially if you prefer Slack’s more sophisticated approach

Right off the bat, you’ll notice a lot more color in Slack, which makes it feel less corporate than Microsoft Teams. 

Whenever I use Slack, I immediately go to the left-hand sidebar, which houses my:

Explore the navigation bar in Slack
Explore the navigation bar in Slack

Although I like the general organization of the sidebar, it’s far easier to get lost in Slack than in Microsoft Teams

For one, anyone can make a channel — a dedicated space for a specific topic or project. While this gives more freedom to users, it also means your sidebar can become overrun with unread notifications. You can try restoring order by customizing the sidebar, but I find that this doesn’t permanently solve the issue. As more channels pop up, the constant chatter can again push your workspace into disarray.

Creating a channel in Slack
Creating a channel in Slack

This hurdle wasn’t something I faced in Microsoft Teams. After you create a channel, it will appear as a sub-channel of your team or community. I like this solution because instead of sifting through numerous channels and notifications, I can directly open the relevant channel without getting sidetracked. 

Creating a channel in Microsoft Teams
Creating a channel in Microsoft Teams

Slack vs Teams: Slack is easier to set up and use

Microsoft Teams might have a simple, no-nonsense interface, but Slack remains a more user-friendly app.

In the left-side panel, when I clicked the “Home” icon, I got a clear view of my: 

  • Channels, 
  • Messages, and 
  • Apps. 

As my workday progressed, I’d come back to this centralized space to find the info I needed. I appreciated not having to open several different pages to keep up with work. 

Instead, I could use a single window to:

  • Monitor in-progress tasks and projects ,
  • Catch up on unread messages, and
  • Save messages and items that didn’t require immediate attention.
Save messages for later in Slack
Save messages for later in Slack

Similarly, I had no problems signing up for Slack. The process was swift, so even if you’re not the most tech-savvy, you’ll be able to get the hang of the app fairly quickly.

While signing up for Microsoft Teams is easy, getting used to the platform can take some time, especially if you’re used to apps with a more intuitive design. As I mentioned, Teams does have a simple UI. However, that doesn’t guarantee that the app itself is easy to use

While Slack houses most of its core features under the “Home” section, Teams doesn’t have a similar organization strategy. To me, it felt like too many features were lumped together in the left-hand panel — from meetings and messages to teams and calendar view.

Teams packs all features in the left-hand panel
Teams packs all features in the left-hand panel

Compared to Slack, Teams offers a more feature-rich experience but often at the expense of its user-friendliness. As a result, I feel that most users will naturally gravitate towards Slack’s simplicity, as there won’t be a steep learning curve.  

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To learn about Teams alternatives that are easy to use and have a sleek interface, head to this blog post:

Slack vs Teams: Slack has better in-app reminders

One of the main ideas behind Slack is to help remote teams improve their productivity, and Slackbot — which takes care of reminders — reflects this mission. 

All I had to do was enter a slash command and type the desired reminder (i.e., /remind me “Follow up with interviewees” tomorrow at 10 a.m.), and Slackbot would promptly send me a DM at the specified time. These reminders are great for ensuring that no minor task is forgotten, like:

  • Writing a summary of a presentation,
  • Sending constructive feedback after a workshop, 
  • Checking in with a coworker, or
  • Crossing a few items off your to-do list.

If you’re not fully familiar with slash commands, you can set reminders from specific messages, too. I like using personal reminders for tasks that don’t involve team collaboration, but for projects with a lot of collaborative work, channel-wide reminders would be my go-to. 

Set reminders for yourself and your team in Slack with slash commands
Set reminders for yourself and your team in Slack with slash commands

Add these reminders and slash commands to Slack’s intuitive messaging features and you can handle tedious tasks much easier. 

I was curious to see whether Microsoft Teams could keep up with Slack in this category. I thought that Teams fell short, as it prioritizes video conferencing over other features

As far as reminders go, you can create them from messages if you have a Microsoft 365 subscription. While Slack’s free plan also limits its in-app features, users can still use slash commands to simplify their work. In Microsoft Teams, the restrictions are more rigid. 

💡 Pumble Pro Tip

Reminders and video conferencing can help organizations improve performance. Yet, these features alone aren’t enough to make Slack and Microsoft Teams the strongest productivity apps on the market. Curious about the best productivity software you can try? Check out this post:

Slack vs Teams: Microsoft Teams wins in audio and video calling, but Slack is better for messaging

The easiest way to connect with colleagues, customers, or external collaborators in Slack is through direct messaging

Although I tried audio and video calls while testing the app, I enjoyed messaging the most. Slack encourages brief, no-fuss communication, so all messages are typically short and to the point, which makes the app a good email alternative

Send instant messages in Slack
Send instant messages in Slack

But, if you need a comprehensive productivity app with more robust video calling options, you might lean towards Microsoft Teams instead

Microsoft has been upgrading the audio and video call features in Teams for years. Unsurprisingly, the app has now become a reliable Skype alternative. Even in the free version, I could:

Invite people to join a Microsoft Teams meeting
Invite people to join a Microsoft Teams meeting

In contrast, Slack users with a premium subscription can only invite up to 50 people to a Huddle meeting. Still, chatting feels more natural and intuitive in Slack than in Teams. 

Ultimately, your choice will depend on how your team prefers to communicate. If you and your team members primarily connect through messages, Slack would be a better fit. However, if your work requires audio and video calls for brainstorming and sharing information, Microsoft Teams outperforms Slack. 

Slack vs Teams: Both have customizable notifications

A common issue I’ve encountered in business messaging apps is that it’s difficult to remain focused. As new notifications roll in and steal my attention, important work can slip through the cracks. With Slack’s customizable notifications, I tried to minimize these distractions.

Depending on what I wanted to do, I could:

Thanks to these options, I could keep up with updates without being glued to the app.

Change notification preferences in Slack
Change notification preferences in Slack

When it came to channel notifications, I could also:

  • Set up alerts for each new message, and
  • Receive notifications only when another user @mentioned me.

Another thing I thought was handy was the Do Not Disturb slash command (/dnd) — a few clicks and I could work without stopping every few minutes to check non-urgent messages.

Activate Do Not Disturb mode and pause notifications in Slack
Activate Do Not Disturb mode and pause notifications in Slack

Customizable notifications have become an industry standard, found in most team chat apps on the market. So, it’s no surprise that customizing notifications in Microsoft Teams was a pleasant experience

Mute a conversation in Microsoft Teams
Mute a conversation in Microsoft Teams

In addition to having the option to mute individual chats, I could customize my general notification settings and:

  • Mute all notifications (except for calls and meetings)
  • Decide how the app displays notifications,
  • Choose whether I want sounds to play when I get an alert, and more.
Manage general notifications and activity in Microsoft Teams
Manage general notifications and activity in Microsoft Teams

When it comes to customizing notifications, it’s a tie. Both apps can be as loud or as quiet as you need — great for users who struggle to focus with constant pop-ups.  generous and more diverse file-sharing and storage solutions. 

Slack vs Teams: Slack integrates with more third-party apps

Slack integrates with over 2,600 apps. So, if there’s something you can’t do in Slack, you can find an app that can. The sheer number of integrations means you can choose from popular tools that simplify everyday work, including:

  • Google Calendar,
  • Google Drive,
  • Zoom, and more.

Since Slack isn’t the most advanced video conferencing app, it was nice to see it integrates with Zoom.

Popular Slack integrations
Popular Slack integrations

That being said, you can only use up to 10 integrations with the free plan.

Microsoft Teams, on the other hand, integrates with fewer apps than Slack. However, Teams offers something Slack doesn’t — a deep integration with other Microsoft 365 apps

The Business Basic subscription lets users access cloud versions of Microsoft’s most used products, such as:

  • Word,
  • OneNote,
  • PowerPoint, and
  • Outlook.
Popular Microsoft Teams integrations
Popular Microsoft Teams integrations

All Microsoft apps are designed to work well together, making Teams a better choice for businesses already using a Microsoft tech stack. 

Slack vs Teams: What’s your pick?

Considering the similarities and differences between Slack and Teams, your final choice will depend on a few factors.

Microsoft Teams is a better fit for:

  • Midsize to large businesses looking to cut costs,
  • Enterprises already using Microsoft products, and
  • Organizations prioritizing video conferencing

Conversely, Slack is more suitable for:

  • Small teams that primarily communicate through instant messaging,
  • Businesses that need multiple app integrations, and
  • Remote teams looking for a simple user interface.

Take your collaboration to new heights with Pumble

If Slack and Microsoft Teams aren’t exactly what you’re looking for, you may have more luck with an intuitive business communication app like Pumble.

Pumble combines the best of Slack and Teams — video calls and direct messaging — but without the steep price

Empower team communication with Pumble
Empower team communication with Pumble

The Free plan is comprehensive, offering:

And, current Slack users who are thinking of migrating to a different platform can do so easily. Once you set up your Pumble workspace, you can quickly import your data from Slack. 

It’s time to centralize your communication and collaborate without limits. Luckily, Pumble by CAKE.com has everything your team needs to achieve these goals.

MartinaStojkovski
Martina  Stojkovski

Martina Stojkovski is a communication author and researcher passionate about exploring innovative strategies that enhance collaboration. With her expertise, she aspires to empower individuals and teams to soar beyond their limits by crafting insightful articles. When she’s not typing away, you’ll probably find her nose-deep in a good book.

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